ProMat 2025 brought together thousands of industry professionals to explore the current state and future of material handling, supply chain, and logistics. From automation and AI to space optimization and product customization, the conversations at this year’s show highlighted how fast the landscape is shifting and the challenges many integrators and end users are navigating in real-time.

At Steele Solutions, we came away from the show energized and inspired. Our team had hundreds of meaningful conversations with customers, integrators, and partners—and while every facility has its own unique needs, a few consistent themes emerged. 

Below, we’re recapping the biggest takeaways from ProMat in case you missed the conference or didn’t have a chance to catch all of the recent industry developments.

1. Designing Chutes for Today’s Sorting Demands

As material handling environments evolve, many customers are facing a new challenge: a wider, more varied range of products moving through their facilities than ever before. 

“As SKUs and packaging demands increase, standard chute designs don’t always provide the performance needed to protect product integrity and keep operations flowing smoothly.” – Andy Beebe, VP of Commercial Sales Chutes

Integrators and end users noted some common challenges due to the growing diversity of products traveling down the same path:

  • Non-uniform package sizes are too large for stand chute designs.
  • Packages sticking or sliding too fast.
  • Damage during discharge due to package size variety. 

To meet these evolving needs, customers are turning to customized chute solutions. 

For example, UHMW chutes, with their slick, maintenance-free surfaces, help minimize friction and allow for consistent flow of parcels. And for heavier or more varied product sizes, steel chutes offer durability and the ability to incorporate brakes and diverters to guide items safely and accurately.

“The common thread we heard is that customers want a collaborative design process. They want a chute manufacturer that understands their real-world challenges and delivers chute configurations tailored for today’s material handling challenges.” – Andy Beebe, VP of Commercial Sales Chutes

Whether that means designing chutes for multiple discharge points, adjusting angles to accommodate speed variation, or integrating mixed-material transitions, Steele Solutions’ chute solutions ensure product quality is preserved, and operations stay efficient.

2. Rising Demand Challenges the Supply Chain

The rapid resurgence of automation in warehouse, fulfillment, and distribution environments has created strain across the supply chain. Many integrators and end users are asking the same question: Can the industry keep up?

Lead times are tightening, expectations are rising, and structural steel components—like work platforms, chutes, and material handling equipment—are now more critical than ever in supporting high-throughput, high-efficiency operations. 

“At Steele Solutions, we’ve seen this shift coming and have taken proactive steps to meet it head-on.” – Andy Schumacher, Chief Revenue Officer

We’ve expanded our manufacturing footprint by acquiring and integrating new facilities and increasing capacity while maintaining our high quality standards. Additionally, we’re investing in automation and workflow optimization across all production lines, streamlining fabrication processes to improve speed, consistency, and delivery.

As customer expectations grow, Steele Solutions is growing with them. Learn more about our capabilities.

3. The Need for Smarter Spaces and Spending

One of the biggest takeaways from this year’s show? Everyone’s thinking up.

As floor space becomes more limited and more expensive, integrators and end users alike are shifting focus to how they can better leverage hanging space and optimize every vertical inch of their facilities. It’s not just about adding more equipment; it’s about adding smarter equipment.

That’s where SteeleTrax stood out. SteeleTrax is an innovative structural steel framing member designed to optimize vertical space and streamline installation in warehouse and distribution center operations.

“Conversations around our prefabricated hanging steel framing system made it clear: saving money during installation and maximizing space efficiency are top priorities.” – Noah Severin, Head of Product Management

Incorporating SteeleTrax steel framing members during installation eliminates the need for time-consuming on-site drilling after the fact, reducing labor costs and installation time. But the bigger story is the efficiencies SteelTrax enables: more streamlined routing for MEP systems, pocket sorter conveyors, lighting, and conduit, resulting in better utilization of the space below platforms.

When you’re planning for future growth and flexibility, vertical space is your most valuable asset. SteeleTrax helps you use it wisely. Learn more about SteeleTrax.

As material handling facilities face pressure to adapt, optimize, and deliver more than ever, the need for smart, scalable infrastructure has never been greater. From solving complex chute design challenges to helping customers expand vertically with solutions like SteeleTrax, our team is focused on creating high-performing environments designed to evolve with your operation.

Whether you’re planning a new installation or looking to upgrade existing systems, Steele Solutions is here to collaborate, engineer, and deliver what your business needs to stay ahead. 

Here are some helpful links to help you get started: